Analyst’s Couch Discussion Strategy: Explanation
This activity mimics the set-up of a consulting room without making direct use of the methods of psychoanalysis.
Learners are invited to analyse opinions, arguments and interpretations rather than their unconscious mind!
The teacher begins by introducing a statement related to the topic of study.
They then ask learners whether they agree or disagree with this.
Some time is given for learners to think about their responses and to write down an argument, or a series of points, that they would put forward in response to the statement.
Having done this, learners are asked to pair up with the person sat next to them and to arrange their chairs so that one of the two is sat slightly behind and to the side of the other (akin to how an analyst might sit with their patient).
The learner who is sat in the chair that is further back takes on the role of analyser.
The activity begins with the learner who is sat further forward outlining to their partner their argument regarding the statement.
While they are doing this, the ‘analyser’ should listen carefully and make notes.
At the end of the explanation, the ‘analyser’ should start asking questions to their partner about their argument.
These questions should be designed to make them think carefully about what they have said.
(You can scaffold this by displaying a set of questions on the board that the analysers can use as a starting point.)
Once learners have finished their discussion, they swap places and repeat the activity with the roles reversed.
By the end, both learners will have spent time thinking in detail about the nature of their own arguments.
This helps learners to refine and improve their thinking. It also gives them access to the thinking of their peer.
Finally, you might choose to develop the activity into a whole-class discussion.
This is a good way to build on the work learners’ have done during the first phase, when they have taken turns at playing the analyst.
Analyst’s Couch Discussion Strategy: Example
Topic: Interpreting poetry
The teacher puts the following statement on the board: ‘The poetry of Wordsworth is best explored through the emotions it evokes.’
Learners are invited to think about this statement and to note down their responses, turning these into an argument or a series of points.
Either way, pupils should explain why they agree or disagree with the statement.
Learners then get into pairs, arrange their chairs as described above, and start the discussion.
In this example, the teacher displays the following questions on the board as a scaffold, to help the analysers get started:
- How might someone argue the opposite of what you’ve said?
- What evidence do you have for your argument?
- What are the weak points in your argument? Can you do anything about them?
- What evidence might someone use to challenge your argument? How would you respond?
If necessary, the teacher could precede the task with a modelled example.
This would see them working with a learner at the front of the class, playing the role of ‘analyser’, while everyone else watches.
For some classes, this extra bit of modelling is the key to unlocking the benefits of this activity.
Analyst’s Couch Discussion Strategy: Extensions and Developments
- Once learners have been through the discussion process, ask them to rewrite their arguments and to then repeat the activity. Second time round, the discussion should be at a higher level, thanks to the refinements learners have made.
- As learners get comfortable with the activity, encourage more of a dialogue between the ‘analyser’ and their partner. This could involve the ‘analyser’ not just asking questions but also putting forward their own views about their partner’s argument. This helps make the discussion more dialogic and is often particularly effective with older groups.
